Downtown Canal Winchester

“I think [downtown has] changed significantly over the last five to 10 years,” says Lucas Haire, development director for the City of Canal Winchester. “It’s gone from your traditional small-town retail to an entertainment and restaurant area.” Haire credits the cultural shift toward supporting locally owned businesses for this change in Canal Winchester’s Downtown.

New: While downtown’s historic buildings are fully occupied, Haire says, changes in the city’s zoning laws a few years ago allowed downtown restaurants to expand their outdoor seating. Restaurant-goers can find patios at Harvest Moon Craft Kitchen, Shade on the Canal and Village Wines and Bistro.

Coming soon: The owners of Harvest Moon have renovated a historic building at 37 W. Waterloo St. and plan to open Loose Rail Brewing there early next year. The 3,000-square-foot building was once home to a power substation for a rail line that ran in the early 1900s. “We have a lot of historic building stock that we maintain,” Haire says of downtown Canel Winchester. “So it gives that historic small-town charm because we’re trying to enhance what exists.”

In early spring, keep an eye out for new bike racks that won the Canal Winchester Art Guild’s juried bike-rack design contest.

Don’t miss: A cluster of four stores selling “shabby-chic” furniture and home items is a draw for shoppers. Start with CornerSmiths, at the corner of East Waterloo and South High streets, and make your way through the vintage, rehabbed and handmade offerings of the quaint shops.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 18th, 2016 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Story.
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Barbara Fergus, Nancy Jeffrey, Hattie and Robert Lazarus Fund of The Columbus Foundation, Thomas and Nancy Lurie and Bob and Missy Weiler.